Aftermath (short) Review

19 mins | 2020

4 star enigmatic post-apocalyptic tale.

Aftermath is a short post-apocalyptic Hungarian thriller written and directed by the highly creative József Gallai (Bodom, Moth) and Gergö Elekes (A Guidebook to Killing Your Ex). Once again, we are presented with an entirely new concept from these outstanding writers.

“I hoped it wouldn’t end like this…”

Our hero, 4re4_51 (Péter Inoka – The Poltergeist Diaries) is a conspiracy theorist with an apparently serious health problem. He is at his keyboard arranging to meet with Pow3rpuff (Fruzsina Nagy – Van der Valk) an on-line friend who has recently undergone an operation.

They arrange to meet at the Riverside at 9pm and he heads into his bathroom to take his medication. The next thing he knows, he is waking up in a strange post-apocalyptic landscape. There are derelict buildings and he sees a man disappear before his very eyes.

As he investigates further, he is accosted by a group of gas-mask clad strangers with guns, but luckily Pow3rpuff is there to help him. Together they must find out what is going on and how to get home.

Aftermath is very well written and although short manages to pack in lots of atmosphere, tension and emotion. The locations are unsettling, empty landscapes and abandoned buildings with a personality all of their own. Once again it features a haunting soundtrack from Gergö Elekes, which helps set the scene beautifully.

There is an unexpected and thought provoking twist too, making this a powerful short film, well worth a watch when you get the opportunity.

“What a first date.”

Aftermath is currently doing the rounds on the festival circuit. See the trailer below and watch this space for further details.